Recent testimonies of successful business networking - Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme
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Melania Sani (Italy)
Age: 23
Company name: - (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Clothing, footwear, leather and textile, luggage articles and accessories
Margherita Caccavella (Belgium)
Age: 32
Company website (3 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Clothing, footwear, leather and textile, luggage articles and accessories
Period of exchange: 04/2023 until 08/2023
Duration of exchange: 4
Results and benefits
Melania the NE joined the EYE to start a product development business in fashion focusing on the traceability leftover fabrics yarns and social equality. The aim is to help innovative designer to express themselves trying to be responsible in the process. The production will be in Italy where the savoir-faire is well known and there is need for emerging factories to approve basic working standards often lacking. rnMargherita the HE a young (but experienced!) entrepreneur based in Belgium. She runs MAIAARCHIVE a product development studio that works with a network of Italian craftsmen manufacturers and suppliers to develop innovative and sustainable products. The studio takes care of sourcing product development and production management of knitwear woven jersey items and leather accessories. rnHaving to meet MOQ for a new fashion designer approaching the production world is an impactful economical limit to start with together with not having experience in the industry.
The exchange has been an enriching experience for both parties. The NE and the HE worked together on the management fabric and accessories sourcing but also on the administrative side of the business (like invoicing and taxes exemption logistics tracking understanding of the bureaucracy behind invoices agreements laboratories). The NE and the HE could focus on the technical side of the business like prototyping samples and production planning yarn and fabric order for the production yarn calculation but also on the "marketing side”: new clients research managing and copywriting on social media platforms to increase engagement and the connection and reaching out to new suppliers to build a wider network. The NE had to take part to the scheduling of a fashion calendar for around 15 clients and to launch with the HE the new projects planning phase optimizing and explanation of the procedures.
The NE and the HE had the chance to create contacts with designers helping them developing their garments: the NE learnt how to deal with deadlines translating ideas into technical concepts suggest changes and improvements to make the process smooth and clear. The NE has been supported day by day coordinating the development from the sketch to the material selection order & delivery patternmaking or knit programming approval set deadlines production quality control & delivery! It’s been a deep journey also to learn how to prioritize the most urgencies (runways shootings and special occasions)! The focus has been put on the sustainability regarding material choice deliveries and waste. The HE got support in contributing to the labs to make them more independent from other suppliers and to tailor communication strategy with each party involved increasing engagement through social media. rnThere has been also an interesting research aspect looking for new companies in Italy
For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:
New entrepreneur's contact point:
MICROFINANZA SRL (Vicenza, Italy)
Host entrepreneur's contact point:
CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE BELGO-ITALIENNEASBL (Bruxelles, Belgium)
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